I think all reactions to swine flu have been nutty overreactions. This disease has killed, what, about 100 people in the US? That makes it approximately 360 times less deadly than regular flu. This is a big deal why?

But quarantining the pig is prudent. Pigs are unclean animals, sinful, and they should be kept away from innocent goats and sheep.

At first I thought it's very cute how the Afghans take care of the only pig they have: building a special room to keep this pig swine flu free, so it can live on and on!

Then I realized that the little piggy is sittin there in that little room, oinking aloud, and there ain't no piggy in the whole country to hear him oink and live happy and swine flu free for the rest of their lives. That's cruel! I think we should just send them some extra pigs.

My favorite part of the article is towards the end when it goes into the history of the Kabul zoo... there was a point when it was overrun and people started eating the animals...one guy jumps in the lions cage to hide and the article casually states that he was immediately eaten by the lion. Then his brother comes back the next day and chucks a grenade at the lion for revenge??

Mr. Tweedy wrote:I think all reactions to swine flu have been nutty overreactions. This disease has killed, what, about 100 people in the US? That makes it approximately 360 times less deadly than regular flu. This is a big deal why?

The big deal is that it hasn't mutated... yet.

As it stands, there is very little immunity to this particular bug in the not yet retired community.* I don't know what the reaction has been in the northern hemisphere, but this thing hit right at the beginning of flu season here, meaning it would spread very quickly. We've been trying to slow it down as much as possible, at least until the flu season is over.

Since there is little immunity to this sucker there would also be little immunity to any new strains that come along, and they could be far deadlier. By slowing it down we're getting a better chance of concocting a vaccine or at least stockpiling the Tamiflu.

I think it's also given health authorities a chance to try out their protocols before something really big strikes. After the horse and bird flu scares of the last couple of years, I think our health authorities have itchy fingers.

Having said that, the cat's out of the bag in .au now and most of the more stringent measures are being relaxed. It's still considered bad form, though, to visit a hospital if you have a cold without checking with them first.

As for the pig, well, I'm not Muslim, so I have my own theories on the best way to stop him being contagious...

*Apparently many older people have a natural immunity. The thinking is that most people within a generation of the 1918 flu---to which this is closely related---have already been exposed and have a degree of protection.

It is something that has to be proved scientifically, that a human being turned into a goat.